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Chapter 1468 Merit or Demerit?

Moreover, the emperor has yet to have an heir, yet he shows no concern whatsoever and turns a deaf ear to the advice of his court officials. Anyone who dares to offer endless remonstrances will certainly be scolded, and if they don't stop, they'll be dismissed on some pretext. Now, the topic of princes has become taboo; anyone who dares to mention it will be in trouble, and nobody cares who they are.

If there's one thing most befitting an emperor, it's wealth; describing him as richer than a nation wouldn't be an exaggeration. There are many conflicting accounts regarding the exact size of Emperor Jingyang's imperial treasury, but none are accurate.

Because Emperor Jingyang owned many and varied properties, some wholly owned and some partially owned, some publicly disclosed and some hidden, even when the Empress was still alive, not to mention his officials, they were still unaware of the details.

Was Emperor Jingyang a miser who liked nothing but sleeping with silver in his arms? Not at all. This emperor's ability to amass wealth was unparalleled in the country, and his extravagant spending habits were also unique.

Most of the money simply circulated through the imperial treasury, quickly becoming various investments and being spent just as fast. The annual allocation to the Royal Academy alone was staggering; it was a veritable money-devouring beast. If the Ministry of Revenue were to pay for it, Sun Yuanhua would immediately have to resign—he simply couldn't afford it.

He was neither greedy for money nor lustful, neither extravagant nor arrogant, and he even disregarded the inheritance of his lineage. He lived like an ascetic, getting up before dawn and still reviewing memorials after dark. What was he after?
Don't say he had no ulterior motives. In the words of Grand Secretary Silva, Emperor Jingyang's happiest moments were when he was lecturing. Whenever someone was forced to listen, and had no choice but to listen attentively, the emperor would smile from the bottom of his heart.

However eccentric, unconventional, and power-hogging the emperor may have been, during his more than thirty years on the throne, the Ming Empire gradually lived up to its name. The court and the people enjoyed political harmony, the populace lived in peace and prosperity, and the nation's strength steadily increased.

The only thing he failed to achieve was peace and tranquility throughout the land. This emperor constantly claimed to dislike war, yet he never missed a chance to wage war, ensuring a campaign every few years. Fortunately, each campaign took place overseas, and each time he was victorious, causing little damage to the nation's strength or harm to the people.

As a result, joining the army has gradually become a popular upward mobility channel among the general public. Many young people who lack business acumen but are unwilling to stay in their hometowns to farm see joining the army as a free stepping stone. Even if they do not become officers, they can still retain their skills after retirement and make a living without any problems.

I can't imagine what the Ming Empire would be like after defeating the European nations and forcing them to follow new rules. Could those literary adjectives truly capture its future glory? I'm really looking forward to it!

Just as the twelfth lunar month began, another post horse with three flags flying from outside Chaoyang Gate galloped into the Office of Transmission. The battle report from Enbird Port had finally arrived!
As predicted, the Ming navy emerged victorious. However, some details differed. The European combined fleet was not annihilated, losing only a few dozen warships and over ten thousand soldiers. While they didn't escape unscathed, they preserved some of their strength.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Yan Busi, the commander-in-chief of the Cape of Good Hope war zone, and Zhang Yongling, the deputy commander-in-chief, are suspected of being cowardly, delaying battle opportunities, and allowing the enemy to escape. They should be handed over to the Military Police and the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a thorough investigation!"

This result clearly did not satisfy the court officials. Their appetites had been inflated by the great victories in the two war zones. Compared with the previous shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", the scene at the imperial conference was rather quiet. Moreover, several ministers from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Justice made serious accusations on the spot.

"I have no objection..." Even Deputy Chief of the General Staff Tan Buming did not defend his own and nodded in agreement with the suggestion.

"Fellow colleagues, please hear what I have to say. Although Commander-in-Chief Yan and Governor-General Zhang have their flaws, they are understandable. The outcome of this battle is not as glorious as that in the Western Regions and the Persian Gulf, but it is not bad either. They have made contributions and should be commended!"

However, the leading figure among the civil officials, Grand Secretary Yuan Yingtai, stood up at this moment to speak out for the two commanders of the Cape of Good Hope war zone, not only opposing the investigation and punishment but also believing that they had performed meritorious service and were to be rewarded. "Grand Secretary Yuan, you are mistaken! Although the Cape of Good Hope war zone has a small number of troops, it has been operating the port of Enbird for many years, investing a lot of manpower and resources in its construction, and should be as solid as a rock."

Putting aside the fall of Enbird City, if we could pursue and attack the Western fleet relentlessly while it was hastily retreating, we would have a good chance of severely damaging it. In this way, the Western kingdoms would be unable to covet the eastward for at least five to ten years, and our dynasty could then focus all its efforts on developing a corner of North America.

"Now that the main force of the Western Fleet is still intact, they must be harboring resentment and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Our dynasty is still forced to fight on two fronts, both east and west, which is not only wasteful but also puts us in a very passive position. Shouldn't this be thoroughly investigated?"

This statement left the court officials somewhat bewildered. They looked at the emperor, then at Yuan Yingtai, and finally, Sun Yuanhua, the Minister of Revenue, launched a counterattack.

“If we are to be considerate of Governor-General Zhang’s advanced age and his position as a deputy general, and temporarily refrain from pursuing the matter, then Yan Busi should be ordered to return to the capital immediately to explain the situation, so as to ensure that the matter is heard correctly.” The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhen Xianshi, immediately followed up, and the implication in his words was quite intriguing.

Before becoming the Governor-General of South Africa, Zhang Yongling had served in the Haihu Division, making him a close confidant of the Emperor, thus deserving leniency and exemption from prosecution. However, Yan Busi should not be let off the hook; an explanation must be given to the entire court.

"Grand Secretary Yuan, I would like to hear your reasons for disagreeing with launching an investigation into the two of them."

Hong Tao, as always, didn't speak first to set the tone, but now he had no choice but to step forward and prove his innocence. Well, if he didn't speak up, the blame would be placed on his own head! But it was a bit inappropriate for him to personally exonerate Yan Bu Si and Zhang Yong Ling, so it was time for someone with discernment to step forward and share the burden for the leader.

"Your Majesty, Enbird Port is thousands of miles away. How can a small force win a battle against a large one while guarding the border? If this is a crime, then who will be willing to go to the frontier for the Ming Dynasty in the future!"
It's understandable that Enniu City was lost. The area under the jurisdiction of the South African Governorate was mostly inhabited by local Xhosa people who had lived a primitive life for many years, were unassimilated and poorly educated, so it's not surprising that they retreated and scattered in the face of battle.

Governor Zhang Yongling was initially responsible for his poor governance, but he later made up for it with military achievements, so we shouldn't be too harsh on him. Who among you can say that he led 3000 Xhosa people to fight against the main force of more than 10,000 European allied troops on the beach for more than ten days, suffering more than half casualties and fighting to the death without retreating?

Furthermore, the main force of the European coalition was concentrated in Port-e-Entrepreneur, with the Western Regions and the Persian Gulf theater being merely secondary forces. However, Your Majesty possessed foresight, employing a clever tactic, drawing upon the essence of the "Tian Ji's Horse Racing" strategy, sacrificing small gains for a great victory—a truly divine military command!

Historically, those most capable of belittling emperors were not commoner heroes, but rather scholars and writers, especially those high in the imperial court; the higher their position, the harsher their criticisms. However, they were also the most capable of praising emperors, drawing on a wealth of sources and exaggerating even the smallest details.

Yuan Yingtai's words of sharing the burden for his master were particularly classic. At first glance, they seemed like he was racking his brains to find excuses to exonerate Yan Busi and Zhang Yongling, but upon closer examination, they also carried a strong sense of flattery.

But you can't object, because he attributed all these arrangements to the emperor. Anyone who insists on calling a victory a loss is not finding fault with the frontline commanders, but deliberately targeting the emperor, and their intentions are despicable!
It's often said that scholar-officials kill without a knife, and there's some truth to that. Especially those scholar-officials who wield power; a single word from their lips can be a deadly blow. Anyone lacking in court experience, especially with a not-so-wise emperor, could easily fall victim to such tactics multiple times a day, dying without even knowing how.

(End of this chapter)